Aurelius Vindictus
Aurelius Vindictus is the Sorcerer Supreme of Dimension 001, Arch-Mage of the Magic Council, and as of the end of Atom's Purge, the God of Magic. He also serves as the Dean and Head Administrator of the Arcanium School of Sorcery, and teaches on occasion. Born millions of years ago well before the collision, he is among the oldest living beings in existence. He has served as the sole head of the Council of Five since twenty-nine years of age, and his name is legend across all of Somnium for his exploits in various events in the planet's history. History Beginnings Although originally thought to be born a mere mortal, Aurelius was actually the Demi-God son of Requiem, a spiritual overseer of the multiverse. Aurelius was born far before the time of the collision in an as of yet unknown realm. He was a curious child during adolescence, who never cried for any reason. He was fiercely independent from his parents, desiring to leave them from a young age. He was interested in a variety of subjects, particularly one that the vast majority of his people practiced; the Sorcerer's magic. He shipped off to Port Semaj, the headquarters of the Council of Five, at the age of ten to begin his training in sorcery. He had already practiced the art form well before being sent away. Through the use of his local shop's scrolls or tomes on magic, he'd practice independently, despite this being highly illegal. In the end it served to his favor, as he was the youngest trainee to be accepted into the higher classes, achieving this feat within his first two weeks at the school. His abilities and his experience grew and grew with each passing day. He was noted by his teachers to be a markedly fiery and competitive spirit. He settled for nothing less than the best, being downright outraged with himself if someone ever overcame him in class rankings. Luckily this was not often an occurrence. He also had "delusions of grandeur"; he'd often go on about how he intended to become the youngest Sorcerer Supreme the world had ever seen. His peers mocked him, his teachers ridiculed him in silence. He knew of their disbelief, but he didn't quite care. Arch-Mage At his eighteenth birthday, he was already preparing to graduate from the academy with high honors. He was to be the youngest graduate the academy had ever seen. At his graduation was his former master, the Builder of the Council of Five, Alistair. After the ceremony, free from the restrictions of the school, Aurelius instantly challenged Alistair to a duel for his position on the Council. Not taking his former student seriously was Alistair's greatest undoing. In front of the watchful eyes of the other four councilmen and dozens of academy graduates, Aurelius made clear his superior mastery of the mystic arts by displacing Alistair in their duel with the utmost of ease. Per the rules of the Council, Aurelius was officially the Builder. His first step towards his goal had been taken. It was not long, only about two years, before he was taking matters of the Five into his own hands. It often angered the other members, whom he viewed with disdain, but he cared little. He'd make decisions on the fly or even directly interfere with matters at hand, an action inconceivable for the other members. As it so turned out, the other sorcerers at Port Semaj had begun becoming ravenous advocates of Aurelius's methods. He soon had a following of sorcerers who preferred his leadership over the rest of the Council's. Although the Five disliked it, they could do nothing about it, as Aurelius had the right to act as he pleased. and any movement to remove him from his position was met with public outcry. This went on for some time, up until his twenty-ninth birthday. Aurelius had been studying certain forms of forbidden magic in his spare time, something heavily frowned upon by the magic community at large. Through its use, and his own natural talent, he was able to overthrow the current Arch-Mage (Creator) and take his place. He ruled the council peacefully and with ease for the remainder of his natural life. Aurelius had just recently celebrated his centennial when he contracted a fatal magical illness. He died on his bed surrounded by his fellow councilmen. Some were sad to see him go, others relieved that his rule had ended. Unbeknownst to them, it had not ended at all. Aurelius utilized his knowledge to form for himself a separate body. Through ancient and powerful magic, he was reborn as a Specter, a spiritual entity with no true physical presence. While he existed in the physical world and could interact with it, his mind, body, and soul were based in the spiritual realm. At this point in his life, Aurelius had firmly established himself in his own world as the master of magic, but never felt comfortable leaving it at that. Leaving the matters of the Five to his subordinate, the Seeker Hestia, Aurelius set off on a self-imposed exile, vowing not to return to his home dimension until he had gathered enough knowledge and experience to claim the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme. Along the way on this journey, Aurelius first encountered the one who would eventually become his greatest nemesis; the conqueror, Sladius the Invincibile - also known as Doom. Aurelius and his Council would meet in combat with Sladius many times in the years afters their initial meeting.They would eventually meet in single combat, resulting in a conflict that would nearly destroy Port Semaj entirely. Aurelius was not able to destroy the exceedingly powerful Sladius, and so instead entrapped him within the Island of Sealing in Port Semaj, encaged by the Nexus itself. Post-Collision & Death After the collision, Aurelius quickly set about determining the nature of the new world he found himself in. He first made it a priority to locate and help rebuild Port Semaj, which was one of the few installations from his previous home that survived the merger. Aurelius garnered a negative reputation in his early days in what came to be dubbed "Dimension 001", as his arrogance and contempt for those he viewed as beneath him shone through consistently. He reestablished the Council of Five on Somnium at Port Semaj, and made connections with the other notable beings of the Dimension. He first made contact with the ruler of the Underworld, the Demi-God Negasus, and although their first meeting get off to a rocky start, they would soon form an uneasy alliance. The most pivotal moment of Aurelius's life would come soon after he had finished settling in and establishing Port Semaj as the premiere school of sorcery on Somnium. Many years spent rebuilding the Port were also years spent by his former nemesis, Doom, lying in wait and biding his time before he sprung his escape after nearly a milennia of entrapment within Port Semaj. During this escape, the newly christened Doom encountered Gildartz and Natsu, two sorcerers who were apprentices to Aurelius. He struck Natsu (his progeny through multiple timelines) with Soulrend. Knowing it would not kill him due to his relation, he instead planned on using Natsu's soul fragment to fix his own fractured soul. Doom finally made the secret to his power known; he had undergone a dangerous and ancient magical ritual to become a Lich, a powerful undead mage, but at the cost of his spirit. With this part of him damaged, he would never attain his true strength. Aurelius, furious at being outwitted by his former foe, took Gildartz and Natsu to Doom's compound where they planned to retrieve Natsu's soul piece. Upon arrival, they were greeted by Doom himself rather than any of his minions. Doom challenged Aurelius to single combat, which he gladly accepted, believing himself superior in power still. Where before Aurelius's non-physical body served as a strength, this time, Doom used it to his advantage; through the use of his Devour technique, Doom absorbed the ambient energy of the Sorcerer Supreme into his own body, leaving behind nothing but his signature skull mask. Aurelius Vindictus was dead. Aurelius's death resulted in Doom's power surging, and he used this increased power to lay waste to most of Port Semaj. The only ones left to oppose Doom were the assorted heroes of Dimension 001 and the former students, Gildartz and Natsu, themselves some of the sole survivors of Port Semaj. Some time after his demise, Aurelius's students began attempting to mount a resistance against Doom and his ever-growing legion of followers. They discovered that a relic, long forgotten in Doom's Domain, held the key to resisting his Soulrend ability and, hopefully, bringing about his demise. Months of planning went on before they were ready to assault his realm and challenge him directly, but their departure was interrupted by the return of an old friend. Ressurrection, Rematch with Doom, & Birth of Arcanium His status as a Specter served to work in his favor, as although Doom had absorbed his physical body, Aurelius still existed on the spiritual and astral planes. Through time and considerable effort, Aurelius was able to reconstitute his physical body once more, proving without a doubt his claim of being virtually unkillable (at least permanently). He revealed himself to Gildartz and Natsu on the eve of their planned assault on Doom's Domain. By the time he came back, the two had done enough to, in the eyes of High Wizard Aunor, earn the rank of Wizard themselves. Aurelius spearheaded the covert assault himself, whilst Gildartz and Natsu received the relic. Upon arriving in Doom's Domain, Aurelius made a statement by single-handedly eliminating Doom's entire cabal of guardsmen preventing their access. However, the display left his relatively new body drained, and he was forced to recuperate while Aunor and the other survivors of Port Semaj pressed on. Although well prepared, they were no match when Doom himself entered the fray, and it seemed all was lost by the time Gildartz and Natsu recovered the relic. However, Aurelius was able to muster enough energy from the contributions of his fallen comrades to engage Doom in combat one last time. Armed with the relic given by Gildartz and Natsu, Aurelius successfully baited Doom into using Soulrend again; however, this time, the relic reflected the spell back at Doom himself. Doom's repaired soul was separated once again, this time irrevocably. As Natsu recovered the missing portion of his soul, and thus his mortality and sense of self, Aurelius also recovered the lost energies of his former physical body, returning him to his former strength. After the remnants of Doom's influence were cleaned up, Aurelius gathered what was left of Port Semaj's faculty and moved to the skies of Somnium to erect a new magical academy. He named this academy Arcanium, a self-contained city far removed from the normality of everyday living. He also created a new chamber for the Council of Five, and spent the days during the city's construction searching for new members. His death and rebirth would bring about a marked difference in Aurelius's personality, as well as his values, reflected in Arcanium's new admission policy; anybody and everybody who has magical talent may come to learn, but Necromancy is strictly outlawed. Personality Aurelius, at one time, was an incredibly narcissistic, arrogant, and self-righteous individual, bordering on the tyrannically evil. This was due to his upbringing coupled with his prodigious rise to power. He has since changed immensely in recent years, due to the various world events and turmoils he has witnessed and played a hand. Aurelius was notably serious and monotone, without a lick of humor in his body. However, he now possesses a certain dry wit that he utilizes on occasion. He has developed an appreciation for practical jokes, and with the use of his magic, he has earned the chagrin of nearly everyone in Arcanium for playing them. He is soft-spoken in most cases, level-headed, and calm. He applies logic to almost all situations and as such, the actions he takes for the greater good may seem to be somewhat insensitive. However, he now allows some personal inflection to influence his decisions, if only just. He does not beat around the bush with his feelings and is outspoken of his thoughts. He maintains a certain level of secrecy which sometimes frustrates his allies, and values the power of information. Aurelius has led the Council of Five for countless years, and as such, he is well aware of everything that goes on in the world and how to act on that information. His status as the defender of this Realm causes him to take matters in it very seriously, even seemingly harmless occurrences. He can sometimes come off as cynical, holding a distrust of many people until they prove their merit. This cynicism has saved countless lives on more than one occasion, as his tendency for distrust makes him more adept at catching others in a lie. There are only three people he truly trusts: Negasus, Hunter Kennedy, and Old Man Kennedy. He holds special regard over those that he can call allies, and thus he will go to great lengths to defend or assist them. In spite of the many positive changes Aurelius has made, he is still exceedingly prideful of his position as Sorcerer Supreme, and thus demands respect in most situations. He is confident in his abilities and his knowledge to the point of fault. He is prone to displaying contempt and even wrath towards those who would downplay his role, and his biggest weakness is most likely his arrogance; however, his wisdom cultivated over the years have helped dissuade these negative reactions somewhat. Appearance Aurelius originally appeared frightening and imposing, dressed in a black robe with a hood, his face merely a mask in the shape of a skull (the original focus of all his abilites). Recently, he has taken on a more regal and heroic appearance. He wears a set of golden armor, as well as a dark blue suit that with glints of white light shining off it, and a golden cloak. Beneath his helmet is what he looked like in his past life; he is a man physically in his thirties with a close cropped goatee and short brown hair. Powers & Abilities Aurelius is the undisputed master of all magic throughout the Realm, and has been recognized as such for milliennia. Powers Magic:'' ''Aurelius is the Sorcerer Supreme of Somnium, Dimension 001, and beyond. He is the foremost expert on Sorcery and is a master of all its forms, and can manipulate magical energy to achieve nearly any effect he desires. Although as a mortal he had limits, the scope of his abilities as the newly instated God of Magic and as a specter are unknown. He can invoke the magical forces of Somnium, the moon, the universe, and the greater deities Thanatos and Utina to bolster his powers. He has displayed a vast array of common and unique abilities, including, but not limited to: * Intangibility: The ability of Invisibility or Near-Invisibility and Phasing through solid material. * Mystic Bolts: ''He can project bolts of magical energy of an unknown nature ranging in power from small sparks to colossal detonations. * ''Banishment: Aurelius has banished many types of creatures and humans to other dimensions, but this is only possible as long as the 'Banish-ers' magic is greater than that of the 'Banish-ees' magic during the banishment. As he is far and away the most magically powerful being in the Dimension, the list of those who can resist his efforts is small. * Transmutation: ''Through manipulation of matter, Aurelius can transform one object into another. He can change a teacup into a handgun, or a lump of clay into solid gold. He has even used this ability to turn troublesome foes into puddles of water. Physical touch is not necessary, though certain beings have proven immune to this ability. * ''Flight: ''He is capable of self-propelled flight at varying speeds. Although only ever seen approaching the speed of sound, his limits are unknown. * ''Teleportation: ''One of his most practiced abilities, Aurelius is capable of teleporting nearly anywhere in the universe instantaneously. Through doorways in reality, Aurelius can leave his current location and arrive at another. Aurelius prefers this to flight, as it is much quicker. * ''Protective Shields: '''''Aurelius can erect mystical force fields of considerable strength. Being the deity of magic itself, it is likely that few beings are capable of penetrating these protective shields. He has, at different points in time, deflected blasts of energy capable of destroying planets, absorbed the full might of a collapsing star, and blocked a direct punch from the God of Strength himself. * '''''Time Manipulation: Aurelius has complete control over the Space-Time continuum. He can slow down, speed up, or even freeze time entirely. He can travel freely through it though avoids this whenever possible, as he and Chronos restrict themselvesf from violating the laws of nature. * Hypnotism: ''Aurelius can ensnare weak-minded individuals through sheer force of will and cause them to become receptive to his suggestions. * ''Illusions: ''Through invoking the powers of Utina, Greater Deity of Deception, Aurelius is capable of creating tangible illusions that are nearly impossible to discern from reality. He has, in the past, entrapped beings in endless, looping illusions that are difficult to escape unless one is particularly crafty or strong in magic themselves. * ''Dimensional Travel: ''As Sorcerer Supreme of the multiverse, Aurelius is capable of opening interdimensional portals. He can take others with him, though refrains from doing so. * ''Conjuring of Objects * Atmokinesis: Through invoking the powers of nature and the weather, Aurelius has nigh-total control over weather-based phenomenon. He can conjure and control lightning storms, summon torrential downpours, cause earthquakes of various magnitudes, and even call down tornadoes to the ground. In theory, he could even cause natural disasters on the scale of a category five hurricane. * Various other spells: ''The range of Aurelius's abilities are virtually limitless, based almost entirely on his imagination. He can invoke control over the elements (Earth, Fire, Wind, Water), manipulate molecules down to the atomic level, summon all manner of different creatures and beasts, and even cause himself and others to become ethereal. '''Psionics: Aurelius is a highly advanced telekinetic and telepath. He is able to use his telekinesis to lift seemingly infinite weights, contain explosions, divide atoms, and even generate the gravitational force necessary to create a black hole. Utilizing his telepathy, he can tap into the Astral Plane and even take other telepathic minds into it against their will. * ''Telekinesis: ''His fine control over matter is innate, as well as a result of his extensive knowledge of the mystic arts. Aurelius can lift immense weights, though his upper limits are unknown. Through his telekinesis he is capable of fine control over objects, and can disassemble and reassemble complex devices in minutes. He can project concussive blasts of force from any part of his body that are capable of toppling buildings. He can release omnidirectional bursts of telekinetic energy as a form of self-defense, and erect powerful force fields around himself and others. * ''Telepathy: ''Aurelius is a telepath of the first order and possibly unmatched by any. He can track down a single mind anywhere within this realm unless they go through great means to hide it, with only Simon Knight thus far proving capable of doing so. He can also create exceedingly powerful illusions, as well as communicate with an infinite number of minds at once. He must sometimes consciously attempt to avoid reading stray thoughts because of the scope of his abilities. Such is his prowess that he also possesses natural psionic barriers that make his mind incredibly difficult to assail. * ''Astral Projection: ''Aurelius can release his astral form from his body, instantaneously and at will. In this form he is unrestricted by physical laws (for example, he may fly to the far edges of the universe to speak with somebody), is invisible (though can be seen by any if he wished it so), intangible, and incapable of being harmed by all but the most powerful and rigorous of mystic means. As physical laws are meaningless on the astral plane, Aurelius is able to use it to traverse at virtually any speed desirable. Through telepathy, Aurelius can force someone's Astral Form out of their physical body and into the Astral Plane, allowing communication safe from surveillance, among other benefits. He can also force this on foes to disable them physically and entrap them within the Astral Plane. Cosmic Awareness:'' ''Aurelius has a certain Sixth Sense tied directly into the happenings of the realm. He can sense the occurrences of significant or threatening events the moment they happen and pinpoint the location. * ''Quasi-Omniscience: ''As a result of his ascension to Deity-hood, he possesses a certain degree of omniscience. He is fluent in every language known to history, can intuitively learn anything he does not know prior (including languages), and can sense and interpret events as they happen. His bank of knowledge is so large, it is represented as an endless library within his Sanctum in the Nexus. The Nexus:'' ''Aurelius is the sole creator and owner of a realm known as the Nexus. It is a wasteland where nothing exists, not even time. It is where the most dangerous of his mortal enemies are held, and it also happens to be his home. The Nexus contains his Sanctum, which is represented as an endless library attached to an artifact room and study area. While this is how his Sanctum is most often presented, it holds no true appearance; Aurelius may alter it at any time he sees fit, and to anything he desires. The Nexus also serves as a storage unit for excess energy that Aurelius may passively absorb over time, and thus he may tap into this reserve at any time if he finds himself depleted. As it lacks the concept of time, the minds of mortals cannot comprehend the Nexus. A single second may feel like an eternity, and so spending even a few moments in the Nexus can drive a mortal to the brink of insanity. For this reason, Aurelius sometimes uses it as a torture device, though very rarely. Through simple will, Aurelius can subside this side effect in those he chooses, allowing others to enter with him temporarily. Energy Form:'' ''As a specter, his body is composed of pure energy of an unknown form, and he exists on the spiritual and physical planes simultaneously. The process through which Aurelius went to become a specter is completely unknown, as he has never revealed the secrets to anybody. What is known is that it required a great deal of preparation, and a willingness to accept the lack of any sort of afterlife should he truly perish some day. * ''Intangibility: ''When he wills it, Aurelius can become immune to any purely physical attack regardless of magnitude. Any attempt to harm him with something other than an energy-based or mystical attack will do nothing but pass through him. He can also phase through any solid material, barring something protected through mystical means. * ''Energy Conduit: ''He is able to absorb, manipulate, and project any form of energy. He has shown himself capable of absorbing solar energy, electrical energy, cosmic energy, and even natural energy utilized by Sages. The amount of energy he can absorb and project is unknown, but so far no upper limit has been shown. He has absorbed the energy equivalent to a neutron star with no ill effects to speak of. * ''Energy Manipulation: ''Aurelius can manipulate and project the energy he absorbs with perfect control, and in any forms he wishes. He considers this among his most important abilities, as it allows him to combat those immune to magic (such as Negasus), as well as providing a fallback should he somehow lose access to his mystical abilities. He has projected blasts of sufficient power to destroy mountain ranges at his peak. However, acts of this nature are usually directly after absorption of a proportionately large amount of energy. He can craft hard-light constructs, utilizing this ability to form weapons and a sort of "energy armor", as well as powerful barriers. * ''Shapeshifting: ''Although for a time he appeared only as a black robe with a skull mask, he has taken to a more regal and heroic appearance. He can shift his form at any time and to anything he desires, being capable of varying his height and weight, although he does not often use this ability. * '''''Immortality: Due to his status as a specter, Aurelius is functionally immortal; he requires no food, drink, air, or sleep to operate. He is immune to all forms of disease and illness, and cannot be killed by any purely physical attack, regardless of magnitude. Similarly, he no longer ages. Even after his physical essence was assimilated into Sladius through the use of Devour, Aurelius was able to reconstitute himself from residual energy over the course of several months. As his essence exists on the physical, spiritual, and astral planes simultaneously, no known way to kill him permanently has been found. Dark Magic:'' ''As a result of his extensive research into the mystical arts, Aurelius is also a master of several forms of forbidden or, at the very least, highly restricted forms of magic. * ''Necromancy: ''The most highly regulated of all the forbidden magics, Aurelius is capable of raising the dead and summoning souls from beyond the veil of existence to carry out his bidding. He can call upon the necrotic powers of the God of Death to bolster his abilities, and through doing so can raise legions of soulless and nearly unkillable minions. However, being that these actions go against the very laws of life and death, Aurelius generally only utilizes necromancy as a means of communicating with the dead for information. * ''Power Suppression & Siphoning: ''Through channeling dark magic, Aurelius can negate or suppress the abilities of other beings through sheer force of will. Furthermore, he can "take" this power for himself temporarily; this does not require the use of a spell. Beings of sufficient strength have been immune to this ability in the past. Abilities Expert Occultist & Historian: 'As Sorcerer Supreme and the Headmaster of Arcanium, coupled with his impressive longevity, Aurelius has multiple lifetimes of experience and knowledge in the occult and on the history of the multiverse. He knows many archaic and long-forgotten secrets, once stating to Matiel Bollardson, " The combined knowledge of every Conjurer on Somnium holds no candle to my experience". '''Expert Strategist: '''Aurelius has participated in various wars throughout his lifetime, seldom suffering defeat. His study of war and overall knowledge and intellect establish him as one of the world's foremost strategists. Paraphernalia Equipment Aurelius is in possession of a vast array of magical items of unknown or ancient origin. There are generally only two he carries at all times; the Staff of Thanatos, which serves as a focus for most of his abilities, and the Amulet of True Sight. All of these are contained within the artifact room in his Sanctum. * '''The Orb of Thanatos: ''A scrying orb of great importance once owned by the former God of Magic, Thanatos. The user can divine the future with pinpoint accuracy, locate any being in any dimension, and summon anyone or anything they wish. Aurelius keeps the Orb as a centerpiece of the Magic Council Chambers in Arcanium, where he and the rest of the Council keep a watchful eye on Somnium and the rest of the Dimension. Although effectively indestructible due to powerful magical enchantments placed upon it, the Orb has been stolen twice in its history; once by Doom, Aurelius's former archrival, and once by Rampage, the God of Strength, though only because he admired its shine. * The Staff of Thanatos:'' ''The most powerful magical artifact in existence, one Aurelius has never used seriously per his own rules, as it could anger "the one above us all". It has the ability to alter reality in any way, shape, or form. It can conjure life from nothing, create and destroy entire universes, and is the sole conduit of all the world's natural energy. It generally only serves as a focus for his attacks, but in a pinch can be made to enhance the power of even his most basic abilities. * Amulet of True Sight: A seemingly simple, unimpressive amulet of obsidian that, when worn, allows the wearer to see energy signatures of living beings, be unaffected by illusions, see those who have made themselves invisible, and be able to tell the truth from any lie intuitively. * Helios Lotus:'' ''The Helios Lotus is a gigantic flower the petals of which, when made into an elixir, can extend one's life span and enhance their magical capability. They also grant vivid precognitive dreams. The flower has never had a need for sunlight nor water; the source of its mystical power and ability to continue to grow is a mystery, even to Aurelius himself. * Lacus Serum:'' ''The Lacus Serum is a bottle of elixir crafted by an ancient alchemist eons ago. Ingesting a single drop of the elixir will cure any ailment, even magical diseases, regenerate lost limbs, heal all wounds, and even revitalize youth. It is called the most powerful herbal medicine in existence. Currently, half of the bottle remains. Once it is used up, it will be gone forever. * The World Star:'' ''The World Star is a gem which can create pocket dimensions and cast powerful shields. The pocket dimensions can be used to trap any being the user wishes. The gem is also capable of stealing the souls of the living or the dead, and using the power contained within to bolster the abilities of the holder. * '''Flame of Uruun: '''A small, meteorite-sized rock that is constantly surrounded by mystical flame. It gives its holder the ability to call upon this flame, capable of burning any substance in existence to ash. Trivia * Aurelius never had a relationship of any kind in his mortal life. He considers himself asexual, as he finds neither sex appealing in any way. Many dispute the validity of this statement. * Aurelius's only true form of attachment was to his former apprentice whom he considered a daughter. He was emotionally distraught for the first time in his life when she left, though he quickly recovered from the incident. * He is a notoriously hard grader: the valedictorian of Arcanium scored a B+ on his final exam, the highest grade Aurelius has ever given. * Aurelius is fond of children and often keeps them company in the elementary bunks. * Aurelius never used to joke around. Recently however, he has taken to using a very dry sarcasm and wry wit. He has also developed an infamous reputation for playing practical jokes on students and faculty. Category:Characters